Empire State of Mind: Day 1

Monday, March 11th we dropped off Wade at his Aunties and kissed him goodbye.  Our direct flight to JFK airport caused some swelling in the feet for 27 and 1/2 week pregnant Ali, but we survived.  We were picked up and hauled to the delightful little home, top floor of a brownstone in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, of our friends Carrie & Aaron.  This was our welcome sign:

 

Perris loves to pose.  We slept one night together on the air mattress.  I would slide right down into P...not comfortable.  So the remaining nights I took the couch and Per the mattress (which takes up the entire dining area, so we inflated and deflated every am and pm.

TUESDAY, March 12

In a word: Wet.  It rained all the live-long day.  But we were steadfast in our adventure!  We stood in line for broadway tickets and scored some for Jersey Boys the next day matinee.  Pleased with ourselves, we went back to the car where our chauffer awaited, to find the car battery dead.  FYI: surrounded by people and NYPD no one could help.  NYPD "doesn't do that anymore" and no other cars admitted to having cables.  So Carrie's landlords came to the rescue and she was off!  So were we--our first Subway ride (in NY, anyway).  We went to Grand Central Station and explored around.  Per particularly loved the Apple store, especially since we are in the market for a new computer.  There we awaited brother Beaumont.

 United with our dear brother, he immediately led us off to a spot in the station with a domed ceiling and 4 corners, a cross-point of 2 paths/halls.  I stood in one corner, Perris stood in the opposite.  We talked and could hear each other CLEAR AS DAY.  It was amazing!  Perris took a video.  Fun little things to discover all around...Then we were off to find lunch and take the tram to Roosevelt Island.

 A random Irish Pub was the winner for lunch.  Here the brothers discussed the correct method of emptying a Heinz ketchup bottle.  Then they teamed up to get it out...Beaumont as the hand-wall to hit the bottle against.  Such love.  Such unity.  Then the wet walk to the tram.  This tram goes over the river to tiny Roosevelt island.  The wind rocked that little tram back and forth as we went across.  I am not a fan of this.  Give me a harness and a rope, I'm great, but anything while free-standing and high-up gives me the willies.  We took the bus around the island for 25 cents and then continued exploring...

 My thoughts the first day were along the lines of, "What's the big deal, New York is just like any other big city I've ever been to"  (I thought a lot of Madrid while here).  But it was a little dreary of a day.  Beau took us around the cool Apple store (2 in one day!) below ground, the Plaza hotel (where we entered the lobby and there was a wedding going on.  The girl was in a 70s vintage dress, very pretty), Rockefeller Center, & 5th Ave shops.  We headed back to Grand Central afterward for a little snack (hot chocolate and a muffin for me) and facetime with Wade!  We made it back to Ben's (Beaumont's significant other) for a gourmet meal of Crawfish Etouffe and watched a movie.  To say I was tired would have been an extreme understatement.

 

(Rockefeller center and the most ridiculous face on me)

 Ben and Beaumont accompanied us on the train back towards Brooklyn.  Perris had done his first NYC research that morning and insisted we take the train to the end of the line to pass the closed stop, City Hall.  There was a flash of light and we passed it.  We were expecting something more, but had a good laugh.  In fact, that whole train ride was quite entertaining.  From the moment we got on the train, the conductor was on the intercom reminding everyone to not wait for the train too close to the edge or standing on the yellow line.  He must have had a really long day, because he just came on every few minutes to reiterate his thoughts...it was making me and Per laugh so hard.  We were riding the 6, just in case you want to know.  I know all about the 6 because J.Lo has a cd named "the six" because she always rode that line.  I know.  I know the most important facts.  Anyway, imagine this typical New York accent black man saying the following with extreme inflection in his voice:

"People.  There is danger lurking all around you."

or

"If you are standing between the cars, it's not goin' to be a good look for you!"

or

"...tin [as in ten, but said as 'tin'] cars of steel comin' towards you!"

It was excellent.

 Thanks Beau for being the artist you are, and taking one for the team when you laid on the dirty floor of the train to get this picture.  Ew.